The invention relates to a box container, in particular for use in a loading space of a motor vehicle, with several dimensionally stable wall parts allocated to a container floor and four container sides.
The invention also relates to a loading space for a motor vehicle with a loading space floor that exhibits at least one recess which can be closed on by means of a covering.
Box-shaped containers exhibiting a floor and four side walls rising from the floor are generally known to the art. It is also customary to transport such box-shaped containers in a loading space of a motor vehicle with a notchback or slopeback. Such containers can be used to accommodate small articles which, in the absence of storage compartments or similar in the loading space of a motor vehicle, can be stowed in this container. Such a container, however, is bulky and takes up too much room, should its function as a storage receptacle not be or only partially be required.
In addition thereto it is customary to provide at least one stationary storage compartment in a loading space floor. The storage compartment is formed by a recess in the loading space floor. The recess can be closed off by a cover terminating flush with the loading space floor in the closed state. Such recesses serving as storage compartments are state of the art technology, in particular for utility van-passenger vehicles. That they are suited solely to accommodate small articles and products left in the motor vehicle is a drawback of such stationary storage compartments. Such storage compartments cannot fulfill the functions of a box container which can be removed from the motor vehicle, which box container is particularly suited to accommodating shopping items and to transporting these items between the motor vehicle and residence or purchasing site.
It is therefore the task invention to create a box container and a loading space of the kind designated at the outset which exhibit improved application potential vis-à-vis the state of the art.
For the box container this task is solved in that the wall parts are parallelogrammatically sluably mounted around axes parallel to each other relative to one another between a collapsed inoperative position and a mounted operational position. When not needed, the box container can consequently be collapsed, saving space, and stowed at a suitable location. This is particularly advantageous with the use of the box container in a motor vehicle. The parallelogrammatic mounting of the box container into the operational position and its lowering into the inoperative position can occur in an extremely time-saving manner through a single manipulation because the different wall parts in each case are connected to each other and through a swiveling of a single wall part necessarily also effect a swiveling of the other wall parts.
In a refinement of the invention, in the mounted operational position at least one wall part is additionally sluably mounted around a transverse axis vis-à-vis the adjacent wail parts in such a way that the wall parts jointly form the box shape from the container floor and four container sides. After mounting of the paragrammatically movable wall parts which, the wall part, forming at least one remaining container side or a container floor is consequently correspondingly transversely folded out, whereby the final box shape results. This construction has the advantage vis-à-vis the solution also in accordance with the invention of not separately employing at the corresponding location wall parts which copivot upward after the raising of the parallelogrammatically connected wall parts, that the entire box container is functionally mounted with a single movement of the hand and, consequently, in one motional sequence. By virtue of the fact that all wall parts are connected to each other, the loss of and one or more separate wall parts is effectively avoided.
In a further refinement of the invention, at least one wall part is excentrically mounted vis-à-vis its point of gravity about the transverse axis in such a manner that in the mounted operational position it swivels through its own weight into its final box-completing position. The manual swiveling possibly required of these wall parts sluable around two axes is eliminated by this construction.
In a further refinement of the invention, position-locking means are allocated to at least the one wall part additionally sluable around a transverse axis, by means of which the wall part is securable in its mounted end position relative to at least one adjacent wall part. Position-locking means can be provided on the respective corresponding wall parts, in each case supplementing each other. In the event the different wall parts are exactly dimensioned with correspondingly minimum tolerances, the wall parts can already be adequately stabilized against each other in the mounted box shape also on the basis of corresponding detents. The refinement described here, however, has the advantage of dispensing with such narrow tolerances and high fabrication precision entailed by the additional locking means, without impairing the stability and operation of the box container in its mounted operational position.
In a further refinement of the invention, the wall parts are parallelogrammatically sluably mounted to each other around vertical axes. This refinement is particularly advantageous if the four wall parts forming the container sides are correspondingly parallelogrammatically movable relative to each other. At least one wall part forming the container floor can be separately used or also connected to the wall parts forming the container sides. In the latter case; the wall part forming the container floor, in accordance with a further refinement of the invention, is additionally mounted around a horizontal axis between two wall parts respectively forming one container side. In all cases, the terms horizontal and vertical refer to the positioning of the box container on a level, horizontal substratum. The container floor can be formed by two wall parts which, in each case, are correspondingly sluably articulated on opposing sides. In an identical manner the container floor can, however, also be formed only by a single wall part mounted on a container side between the corresponding wall parts.
In a further refinement of the invention, two wall parts, facing each other and forming container sides, are provided with mutually opposing diagonal angle prolongations on which the adjacent wall parts are articulated, whereby the length of the angle prolongations is proportioned to the thickness of at least one interposing wall part in the collapsed position. Complete collapse to the lowest height possible can be achieved thereby. The length of the angle prolongations has been proportioned to the thickness of at least one interposing wall part such that the overlying wall part and the underlying wall part almost immediately bear on each other.
The task in accordance with the invention for the loading space is solved in that the recess is dimensioned in such a way that a box container in accordance with the invention can be incorporated into the recess in the inoperative position. The box container can thereby be space-savingly accommodated. If the box container is needed to transport items to be loaded, the recess can serve as an additional storage compartment for articles remaining stationary in the vehicle.
In a refinement of the loading space in accordance with the invention the cover exhibits at least one swivel lid which is connected via a mechanical coupling to at least one wall part in such a way that one opening of the swivel lid effects mounting of the box container. Fast and simple mounting of the box container already with the opening of the swivel lid is attained thereby, such that, with a few manipulations, the corresponding functions of the box container and the recess are achievable.
In a further refinement of the invention, the mechanical coupling is arranged in a releasable manner between the swivel lid and the wall part. This construction guarantees that the coupling between swivel lid and box container is only temporarily present during the mounting process. The unrestricted mobility and removability of the box container from the vehicle is not thereby interfered with.
In a further refinement of the invention, at least one swivel lid can be raised into grasping position by means of a support lever configuration. The support lever configuration represents an opening aid in order to be able to easily and quickly grasp the swivel lid terminating flush with the loading space floor in the closed position.
In a further refinement of the invention, at least one support element is provided on one floor of the recess and/or on at least one swivel lid, which, when the recess is empty, creates a swivel lid support flush with the floor. This refinement is advantageous if the recess to support the swivel lid does not exhibit a frame of its own in the closed position but, rather, the dimensions of the swivel lid correspond to the dimensions of the box container in the collapsed inoperative position. In order to prevent at least one swivel lid, when the box container is removed, from extending obliquely inward to the floor of the recess in its subsequent, closed-again position, at least one support element guarantees secure support of the swivel lid, such that the swivel lid forms a flush termination with the remaining loading space floor. The level and uniform overall impression of the loading space floor is consequently not impaired even when the box container has been removed.
In a further refinement of the invention, in conformity with at least one support element, at least one centering recess is provided on the container floor of the box container by means of which a defined positioning of the box container in the recess is achievable. Centering and securing of the box container in its collapsed inoperative position inside the recess is thereby enabled. As a result thereof, it is possible to secure the box container, in particular in its collapsed inoperative position, in the recess. The box container can also be securely positioned in the mounted operational position in the loading space by a support element and centering recess.
Loading space, as defined in the invention, is understood to mean a trunk of a passenger vehicle with notchback as well as a loading space of a utility van-passenger vehicle or a passenger vehicle with hatch- or slopeback, with the result that loading spaces in accordance with the invention can be closed off by tailgates as well as by taildoors. Truck and delivery vehicle loading spaces are also numbered among the vehicles invention.